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Alexandrium catenella

Alexandrium sp. Alexandrium catenella. Alexandrium produce saxitoxin that accumulates in filter-feeding shellfish during blooms, or “red tides” Consumption of contaminated shellfish causes p aralytic s hellfish p oisoning. Human consumption. Alexandrium. Shellfish.

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Alexandrium catenella

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  1. Alexandrium sp. Alexandrium catenella • Alexandrium produce saxitoxin that accumulates in filter-feeding shellfish during blooms, or “red tides” • Consumption of contaminated shellfish causes paralytic shellfish poisoning Human consumption Alexandrium Shellfish

  2. Identifying a Window of Opportunity • Definition: a period of time with weather and environmental conditions that increase risk for HAB development and shellfish toxicity • To identify the window of opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound, we used the five most toxic events on record at “hot spot sites” See Moore et al. (2009): Harmful Algae

  3. Five most toxic HAB events at hot spot sites 20 days 20 days 20 days 20 days 20 days Nov 02 Sep 06 Sep 00 Oct 96 Sep 04 What did the weather and environmental parameters look like during these events?

  4. Five most toxic HAB events at hot spot sites A window of opportunity exists when all eight of the parameters are within 1.5 SD from the mean of values calculated during the 20 days leading up to the most toxic events 20 days 20 days 20 days 20 days 20 days Nov 02 Sep 06 Sep 00 Oct 96 Sep 04 The window of opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound is primarily driven by warm air and water temperatures, weak winds, low streamflow and small tidal variability What did the weather and environmental parameters look like during these events?

  5. “Windows of Opportunity” Correspond with Historical Shellfish Toxicity Records in Puget Sound = Windows of Opportunity, i.e. days with ideal weather and environmental conditions for toxic HAB development Moore et al. (2009): Harmful Algae

  6. Has the Window of Opportunity Changed in the Past? 1990s: 50 days 1980s: 36 days 1970s: 31 days The window of opportunity for HABs of Alexandrium in Puget Sound has increased in duration since 1967 Moore et al., Submitted

  7. Has the Window of Opportunity Changed in the Past? Max. 92 days Max. 64 days Max. 42 days These increases occurred in “steps” in 1977 and 1991 marking new ceilings for values attained by the window of opportunity Moore et al., Submitted

  8. Will the Window of Opportunity Change in a Future Warmer Climate? • Calculate the window of opportunity for HABs of Alexandrium using climate change projections into the future for the Puget Sound region • Calculate using the SRES A1B emissions scenario • Characterized by rapid economic growth, a global population that peaks in the mid-21st century, and rapid adoption of new technologies

  9. Future Average Changes to Parameters Relative to the present-day (i.e., 1980s) ** Perturbations to (i) air temperature and precipitation calculated using the mean values of 20 GCMs with simulations for SRES A1B (Mote and Salathé, In press), (ii) streamflow calculated from the variable infiltration capacity regional hydrological model (Elsner et al. 2009), and (iii) sea surface temperature using a regression relationship with surface air temperature (Moore et al. Submitted)

  10. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Moore et al., Submitted

  11. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Moore et al., Submitted

  12. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Moore et al., Submitted

  13. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Moore et al., Submitted

  14. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Moore et al., Submitted

  15. Projected Window of Opportunity for Alexandrium in Puget Sound Managers can watch these months more closely and put mitigation measures in place ahead of time instead of being caught off guard by an unexpected bloom Moore et al., Submitted

  16. Present day Compared to the 2040s 2080s 2020s • Blooms may begin 1 month earlier • Blooms may last up to 14 days longer • Average increase of 6 days • Blooms may begin 1 month earlier • Blooms may last up to 15 days longer • Average increase of 9 days • Blooms may begin 2 months earlier • Blooms may last up to 19 days longer • Average increase of 13 days

  17. Conclusions • A window of opportunity exists for HABs of Alexandrium and can significantly increase the risk for toxic blooms in Puget Sound • This window has been widening since at least the late 1960s • Under a moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenario, we project that blooms may begin up to 2 months earlier in the year and persist for up to 1 month later • Changes will be felt within 30 years, and maybe felt as early as next decade

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